January 2025 Hillcrest Newsletter

Hillcrest is working alongside CHC. Please help us know how to meet our parent needs by filling out the following survey:

PARENT SURVEY

Dear Hillcrest Families,

January has been a long, busy month. We are back into the swing of things as the holiday season is now behind us. We survived our first cold day. I hope you and your family stayed warm. I am thankful to see the sunshine and warmer temperatures coming our way. The students have enjoyed getting outside during recess as well. There is a big difference in student engagement when they get to go outside and play verses having recess indoors.

There are exciting things taking place in the upcoming weeks:

• ST Math Week
• Jump Rope for Heart
• Family BINGO Night
• A Partnership with John Deere

Please read below to learn more about each of these important events.

I am thankful to be on your team and ensuring your child receives the best education!

Always here to do what is best for kids,

Mrs. Tapscott

We are excited to share that we’ll be celebrating East Moline Math Week from February 3-7, 2025!

This is a free experience designed to make math fun for the whole family. Our school goal is to reach 12,500 minutes! There are activities for every day of the week, so you can participate whenever you have the time.

Hillcrest has a new amazing partnership with John Deere. John Deere is going to be supporting our students during our STMath week to help encourage students to gain as many minutes in STMath as possible. If our school meets the goal of 12, 500 minutes, John Deere will be revealing an incentive for our students to experience on Thursday. There is an experience for our top 5 ST Math finishers as well! More information to come after it is revealed to our students during on assembly on Thursday!

To play, visit https://www.mindresearch.org/math-week-eastmoline and pick a day. Select your grade and language and then flip the card over.

Each time you spend time together, please use the survey on the website to log your minutes.

Quack, Quack! The Heart Heroes are coming back! Our school is participating in Kids Heart Challenge, kicking off on 1/30/2025 and it’s time for you to sign up your student to become an official Heart Hero.

Sign up TODAY

• Download the FREE AHA Schools App for Apple or Android and click on “Register Now” then scroll down to join your school's team.

• OR click HERE. and choose “Sign Up” to get started.
  
  

Thank you for your support, together we are building a Nation of Lifesavers!

Winter is here!!! Currently we have warmer temperatures, however, more cold weather could be on it's way. Please make sure that you send your student to school with appropriate winter apparel. Students will go outside to play as long as the "feel like" temperature is above 10 degrees. Students should have a winter coat, a hat, and gloves. If your students need help getting these items, please let your student's teacher know. We will be sure to find winter gear to keep all kids warm this winter!

If there is snow on the ground, students will be expected to wear snow boots, snow pants, a winter coat, a hat, and gloves in order to play in the snow.

Thursday, January 30

Parent/Teacher Conferences from 3:30-7:30pm-

Friday, January 31

Parent/Teacher Conferences from 7:30-11:15am-

February 5

1/2 Day - Dismissal is at 11:30pm

February 7

Family BINGO Night at Glenview from 5:30-7:30

February 17

No School - President's Day

February 18

No School - Teacher Inservice

February 25

PTO Meeting at 6pm in the Hillcrest Library

A unique partnership is blossoming at Hillcrest Elementary, bringing exciting new opportunities to students and staff. Hillcrest Elementary is a school full of caring educators that provides a supportive and loving environment for a diverse student body. Hillcrest Elementary faces specific challenges meeting the needs of such a diverse student body. But Hillcrest now has something many schools don’t have — the focused attention of a John Deere partnership.

John Deere Harvester Works was drawn to Hillcrest's commitment to fostering a love of learning despite facing significant socioeconomic challenges. The partnership will focus on providing STEM enrichment activities, mentoring opportunities, and resources to support the school. John Deere has invested time and money in schools through its Inspire program for more than a decade and has had a very successful partnership with Ridgewood Elementary for the last few years. John Deere employees work with each school to support their needs and offer opportunities for educational enrichment that might not be available otherwise.

According to Dr. Kristin Humphries, Superintendent of the East Moline School District, "We are excited for the opportunities that the John Deere Inspire Program will provide Hillcrest Elementary students. As community partners, we appreciate their support of our students because we know it will positively improve educational outcomes and enhance the work that goes on inside our classrooms." Cami Tapscott, principal of Hillcrest Elementary, added, "It shows our educators and families that John Deere sees us, cares about our success, and is invested in our future."

Hillcrest families should look for exciting information about the partnership this winter and spring as they build connections between staff, students and the employees at John Deere Harvester Works in East Moline.